


Hellbent

by baphopower



Category: Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Brutal Murder, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Crimes & Criminals, Drowning, Implied Sexual Content, Infidelity, Kinda sus but not graphic, Multi, Murder Mystery, On Hiatus, Pokemon Showcases, References to Depression, Serial Killers, Soul Bond, Talking To Dead People, Teen Crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-03-29 20:52:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19027714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baphopower/pseuds/baphopower
Summary: A series of murders with no obvious culprit sweep over the Kalos region, instilling fear and suspicion in everyone. Jean Sycamore, a private investigator, thinks he might have a case and the only person to know is his 16-year-old son, Augustine. When Jean goes missing, Augustine steps up to find out who the killer is and bring them to justice.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The umbrella, or Sombrella as we call it, is a very important item.

                The Azure Bay pier was mostly empty, save for a woman and her date. The moon’s reflection rippled over the water and gazed down like a giant eye, making the woman somewhat nervous. What they were doing was, by all accounts, asking for trouble, especially considering the fact that the man beside her was 50, while she was only 18, just a babe, really. The man wasn’t even rich or anything. He was just so nice to her.

Mature.

Responsible.

And a liar.

            During a brief… _encounter_ at the man’s apartment, she found his phone, with three missed calls from a woman she could only assume to be his wife, (or girlfriend, depending on context she didn’t quite have at first, until she discovered a ring in his pocket, that she’d previously mistaken for a condom. This man was married. He had a wife. She was just an easy lay to him, probably some kind of replacement.

            The man, Richard Thorne, had no idea that she knew. He probably thought he was going to get laid after this. The woman, however, had a very different idea in mind. She was going to lay him alright. Lay him to rest at the bottom of the ocean.

            “Doesn’t the moon kind of look like a giant eyeball?” Richard spoke up. “So beautiful. Just like you.”

            Normally, this would have gotten a blush from the girl, but she could do little more than force a half-smile.

            Richard didn’t seem to notice as he pulled out a huge wrapped cloth from the trunk of his car and unrolled it. Sitting inside of it was a plain black umbrella. Nothing too particularly spectacular, yet the girl’s green eyes grew wide in fear. Something about it was so off-putting.

            With a snap, Richard opened the umbrella. The sound made her flinch as though she was struck with a whip.

            “This umbrella is an old piece, dating back nearly 500 years, yet it never showed signs of decay or growing old. In fact, it works so smoothly, as though it were made yesterday. That’s because there is a little secret hidden within it.” Richard stroked the umbrella pole fondly. “See, it’s not actually an umbrella, this is just the shape it took. It is far more powerful than it looks. Such a unique piece, and cleverly disguised.”

            The girl swallowed thickly and asked. “What is it?”

            “Are you familiar with Arceus?” Richard asked. “And his 17 plates?”

            The girl shook her head slowly, eyes pinned on the mysterious item.

            “Well, then, allow me to educate you. A long time ago, when the world was dying, Arceus, the supposed creator of the universe, used 17 special tablets to bring the world back to life. They were left in the ownership of the Fleur-de-lis family, the kings of Kalos. Some of the plates were damaged in battle and changed, fusing with other shards or the items around them, to create a series of strange artefacts that held a mysterious power in them, unlike anything ever recorded before. For the first time, a human could wield the power Pokemon possess.” Richard pointed the umbrella at the girl, who began to step back, edging closer to the water.

            “This particular umbrella hosts the energies of the Shadow Plate and the Pixie Plate, Ghost- and Fairy-Types respectively. All wrapped up in a neat little, inconspicuous device. And it isn’t the only one out there. The person I…ahem…received this from made mention of other hidden items with this strange power, but for right now, I only need this one.”

            “W-what are you going to do with it?” The girl asked.

            “Originally, I was only going to show it to you, but I don’t like people who snoop around in things that belong to other people. Instead, I’m going to make you my first victim.”

            The girl staggered back, closer to the edge of the pier. She was cornered, she realized, as he leveled the umbrella at her.

            “Really, this could have been avoided if you weren’t so nosy,” Richard muttered to himself. The umbrella glowed violet and a beam of darkness taking the form of a claw knocked her off the pier and into the water below. There was a scream, then a satisfying splash, then silence. The umbrella snapped closed by itself, leaving Richard alone on the pier, panting softly. He lowered his hand with a groan. It had taken a lot out of him. Using this umbrella was far different than using a gun.

“...I hate nosy people.”


	2. A Friendly Prelude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Augustine gets to have a nice day before everything eventually goes to hell later.

The Sycamore residence was a nice little Victorian-era house in Couriway Town. It hosted the immediate family of one Jean Sycamore, a private detective. Besides himself, he lived with his wife, Forsythia, and their two children, a set of twins, Diantha and Augustine, both 16 years old.

            Diantha loved Pokemon battles. She and her Kirlia were going places, it seemed. They breezed right past the other kids at the nearby Trainer’s School and sat at the top of the class. Her brother on the other hand, wasn’t very good at Pokemon Battles, but had the mind of a researcher. He spent his time pouring over science magazines, books, documentaries, to learn everything he could about Pokemon. He loved them in a way much different than Diantha did, but just as much.

            Jean was so proud of them both. He loved his children dearly and did everything he could to protect them. He was a firm believer in doing the right thing and hoped his children would end up the same way.

            Today was March 23rd, the day the Pokémon Showcase festivals kicked off officially in Couriway. A huge crowd had formed on a cliff that overlooked the waterfalls and the stage. Vendors sold various Pokémon and showcase memorabilia, like statues of popular performers, replicas of ribbons, keys, etcetera. Some even sold costumes.

            Augustine had come out of the house for once to observe all the Pokémon and their trainers as the festival went on. He dressed casually in a sweater and jeans, in stark contrast to Diantha, who wore a stunning purple sundress. She spent her time dragging Augustine around to meet various school friends and get him to socialize. A noble attempt on her part.

            Among the people gathered there was a classmate of Diantha’s a man with wild red hair named Lysandre. He, like Augustine, was a giant nerd, though Lysandre was a giant nerd in a more literal sense, topping out at 7’1”.

            Diantha spotted Lysandre staring into one of those tubs of water where they give you a net and you have to try and scoop out a fish Pokemon. His expression was thoughtful.

            “Hey, Lysandre!” Diantha called out, tugging her brother along. “I want you to meet someone. This is my twin brother, Augustine. He’s training to be a researcher.”

            Lysandre turned to look down at Augustine and the black-haired man swore he felt his heart stop. Lysandre was so handsome, practically dreamy. Augustine had never seen such a fine specimen before! Lysandre was lean, muscular, and carried himself with pride. Every aspect of him; his clothes, his hair, the way his hand wrapped around Augustine’s…

            “It’s a pleasure,” Lysandre said in a voice like melted dark chocolate. “Diantha speaks about you quite often.”

            Augustine coughed into his hand nervously before responding. “It’s…it’s nice to meet you. Are you trying to catch a fish?”

            “Yes, actually,” Lysandre turned back towards the tank. “I’ve always wanted a Gyarados, and a Magikarp is the first step in that direction, non?”

            “That is true. Magikarp are hard to raise. I hope it works well in your favor.” Augustine walked up to the tank and gazed down at the dozens of swarming fish. Something gold flashed, catching Augustine’s attention. As soon as it appeared, it was gone. Augustine wasn’t even sure if he saw what he thought he saw or if it was sunlight shining on the water.

            The vendor handed Lysandre a fish scoop and Lysandre crouched down to observe the water with the gaze of a predator. Augustine couldn’t help but to watch as Lysandre tensed himself, preparing to make his move. There was a brief silence, a flash of gold, and Lysandre swiped something out of the water.

            Augustine leaned in a bit closer and gasped. There had been a shiny Magikarp in the water that Lysandre must’ve known was there. He’d been waiting for the right time to strike and succeeded.

            The Magikarp was placed in a net ball and given to Lysandre, who had the smug aura of an Espurr that had gotten its way.

            “Did you plan that?” Augustine asked, trying to make conversation.

            “Oh, no, actually. I wasn’t aiming for the shiny. I was aiming for a particularly sleek one, but when I dived, the sun hit my eyes and I missed. It still worked out in my favor, didn’t it?” Lysandre chuckled and turned to look back at Augustine. “I can get you a Magikarp if you like.”

            “O-oh, no! I’m…It wouldn’t feel right taking your money like that.” Augustine stuttered.

            “It’s no problem to me,” Lysandre replied. “It’s only 500 dollars.”

            Well, maybe. It would be nice, wouldn’t it?

            “Um, alright.” Augustine gave it and Lysandre patted him on the back before handing the vendor the money and resuming his stalking pose. A moment later, a smaller Magikarp was scooped up and placed into a net ball. Lysandre handed it to Augustine with a smile.

“It seems your sister wandered off during our conversation,” Lysandre noted. “In the meantime, I can keep you company, if you like.”

_Oh, **Hell Yes!**_

The two wandered through the crowd, conversating about various kinds of research and recent scientific discoveries ranging from finding an old cuneiform tablet to a discovery about Fletchling flight patterns and behavior, to an old copper mirror locked in a safe in the ruins of a castle. Lysandre seemed curious about Augustine’s research. It was a nice time, just wandering around and discussing whatever they liked.

At one point, the professor had to stop to take a breath, pulling his inhaler out of a computer bag. Lysandre waited patiently for him to recover and brushed off any apologies Augustine offered over the matter.

“How long have you been asthmatic?” Lysandre asked.

“It…It started up when I was 12. It comes and goes in severity, but its been pretty bad lately. Diantha thought that the…that the fresh air would help.”

“Is it?”

Augustine shrugged.

“I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we. Shall we go find your sister?” Lysandre held out his hand. Augustine took it gently and allowed Lysandre to weave him through the crowd.

            In the end, instead of finding Diantha, they got ice cream, Lysandre won him a stuffed Litleo from a booth (that Augustine carried around like a baby). It was around this time that Augustine realized he may or may not have a crush on Lysandre. He wished he would just grow up already so the relationship would actually go somewhere. For now, there was no need to talk about his feelings. Especially not at 16. Maybe in the future, but just…not right now.

            Hell, he didn’t even know if Lysandre was into guys, just that he was hot, and Augustine liked him. Patience here would be key. Even if it meant there would be no payout.

            Lysandre and Augustine made their way over to a crowd gathered around a man with white hair and a stern disposition. Augustine gasped. “That’s Professor Rowan!”

            Augustine had somewhat idolized Professor Rowan and consumed all media and research the Professor had to offer on Evolution. He saw Professor Rowan the same way Diantha saw the current champion, Drasna. Wanting to meet them, learn from them, but ultimately be better.

            “What’s with that expression?” Lysandre teased. “I’ve never seen someone so excited to come across a lecture at a festival.”

            “Uh, I really like Rowan’s work.” Augustine explained. “I want to be a Pokémon Professor like him. I applied for an intern ship at Professor Hawthorn’s lab, but he’s hesitant to take me on because of my asthma.”

            “How…unfortunate. From what your sister told me; you have a fierce love for all Pokémon. If anyone deserves to get an internship at the lab, I would imagine it to be you.”

            Augustine blushed slightly. “You’re good at flattery, do you know that?”

            Lysandre’s laugh was deep. “Let’s go find your sister. It’s getting late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The copper mirror will be important later.


End file.
